I host the SciFi Readers Club Chart Show

I’ve just started a sci fi chart show over at the FB group where I often hang out. Still figuring out how this is going to work and be fun for all without taking up too much of my time.

Here’s an intro and some images from the first entry to whet your appetite. The rest is over at SciFi Readers Club here.

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“Down one place at #3 is Steve Wonder with Masterblaster. Randy Crawford is holding steady at #2 for one more day before she flies away. Which means we have a brand new #1. Straight into the top slot it’s The Police and Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” [Roll music video.….]

I used to love the music chart shows when I was younger. It was like supporting team sports in some ways. I’d root for my favorite artists to chart well, have a good-hearted moan when a song outstayed its welcome at the top, and be introduced to artists I wouldn’t otherwise have discovered. All while enjoying fun contemporary music culture.

So I wondered: why not do something similar for science fiction book charts?

Possibly, this fixation in my head is a British thing from a now bygone era.

When I was younger, a large proportion of people of my generation would tune into the BBC Radio One or BBC 1 on the telly for Thursday night’s Top of the Pops. This was a live top-40 singles chart rundown show with selected acts playing live in the studio.

In those days, there were only two main TV channels (with a third for obscure stuff… that I tended to love), so audience numbers for popular shows were huge. The next morning at school, everyone would be talking about last night’s show. These memories embed strongly and still resonate decades later.

Once at university or working your first job and living in a tiny flat, we discovered that the simultaneous radio broadcast through the Hi-Fi was best enjoyed with good company and beer.

So I wondered whether I could have a laugh and do a regular little chart rundown slot for science fiction book charts. Just for fun and to get people talking about books. Since it’s a chattier place than my blog, I’m going to do this on the SciFi Readers Club Facebook page.

I’m not certain how this is going to work, which means we’ll just have to work out the details as we go along… just like so many of our favorite science fiction characters. To being with, I’ll take the two charts on amazon.com of most interest to the club: military science fiction and space opera. I’ll do the following:

• a quick rundown of trends and new entries in the top 50s.
• List the top books. (just for space opera for the time being)
• Pick one book that takes my interest. Probably read it too.
• And do anything else I fancy. There are no limits.

Join in the fun. Let me know what you think. And hopefully we’ll make this a bit of fun.

Tim